Fox TV inks ‘Hope’ duo to 3-year deals

Twentieth Century Fox TV has signed a three-year overall development deal with veteran writer/producer John Tinker and director/producer Bill D’Elia, executive producers of the CBS drama “Chicago Hope.”

The mid-seven-figure deal was made by Sandy Grushow, president of 20th Century Fox TV, and the producing pair will continue to oversee “Chicago Hope” as they develop new projects.

Tinker joined “Chicago Hope” as a co-executive producer midway through its first season, and he was upped to executive producer in season two. D’Elia joined the series in 1996 as a co-executive producer, and he was promoted to executive producer later that year, directing exclusively for the series.

Tinker first gained acclaim during the debut season of “St. Elsewhere,” when he wrote the first of six Emmy-nominated episodes. He won his first Emmy Award for the script “Time Heals,” and he later became a producer and supervising producer on the series until it ended in 1988.

Later, Tinker co-created and produced the drama “Tattingers” and the comedy “Home Fires,” before joining “L.A. Law” as co-executive producer in 1992. He also created and executive produced the drama series “The Road Home.”

D’Elia made his feature film debut in 1990 with “The Feud,” and he moved to TV the next year, directing “Northern Exposure.” His directing credits also have included “Picket Fences” and “Law & Order.”

Tinker is repped by David Greenblatt at Endeavor, and D’Elia is repped by Leslie Maskin at UTA.